The Journey: Setting the Calendar

 

We’re twelve days into the new year. I pray that these days have been blessed and productive for each of you. I also have a question – How many of you have made resolutions for this coming year?

Have you resolved to lose weight, stabilize your emotional state, or perhaps, achieve a business goal? For me I've resolved to adhere to a better laid business strategy. Now that I've gone public with this declaration and I promised to be honest with you, I’ll share what has transpired thus far.

This month I will complete a marketing course specifically designed for those in the arts. The classes have caused me to take a hard look at my current business model, then compare it to the vision of On Assignment Publication for this coming year. By doing so I saw the need to tweak the mission plan. Note I said mission, the method needed to reach the goal; not the vision, my end goal. Readjusting the mission became the rudder for steering my literary ship. That rudder transformed into my ‘Master Calendar’.

By utilizing this tool, I’m able to set attainable goals and not lose heart due to lack of preplanning. This is done with the assistance of an electronic and manual calendar. I’m using two calendars because I’ve been known to destroy an electronic item or two. Having a hardcopy backup is my safety net. It’s also mounted on my wall so that I’ll always see it.*

I started the process by plugging the preferred dates of my major and minor projects into each calendar. My next trip through the calendars, I added holidays and special occasions observed by my family. Trip three through the calendar consisted of adding deadlines for things such as promos, edits, printing and other needs associated with publishing this book.

As advised I selected one of the projects, noted the end date then backtracked. I chose 'Her Gifts', my Christmas Ebook release.

Of course I thought that December 1^st would be the perfect release date. However, research told me that those releases should be available for purchase no later than October. That pearl of wisdom required a need to reset the pre-release work schedule. This included aligning with the schedule of the editor and others whose services I’d selected for this project. Revamping that calendar involved more than the Christmas work. It caused me to realistically look at the schedule for my other works. I was fortunate that only a few things had to be rescheduled.

To some this may seem time-consuming and possibly, overkill. For me it’s working smarter rather than harder. Speaking of working smarter, I need to get back to work. Talk to you soon and please remember to use your words to bear good fruit!

 

Linda!

 

*A visual of your vision should be placed somewhere that allows you to see it daily.